WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service.
U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington ruled Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s executive order to cease funding for NPR and PBS is unlawful and unenforceable. The judge says the First Amendment right to free speech “does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type.”
“It is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints that the President does not like and seeks to squelch,” wrote Moss, who was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama, a Democrat.
Last year, Trump said at a news conference he would “love to” defund NPR and PBS because he believes they’re biased in favor of Democrats.
NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of violating its First Amendment free speech rights when it moved to cut off its access to grant money appropriated by Congress. NPR also claims Trump, a Republican, wants to punish it for the content of its journalism.
Last August, CPB announced it would take steps toward closing itself down after being defunded by Congress.
